The “Indo-Pacific” idea was originally conceived in 2006- 07. The term ‘Indo-Pacific’ combines the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and the Western Pacific Region (WP) – inclusive of the contiguous seas off East Asia and Southeast Asia – into a singular regional construct. Now it has gained eminence due to:

• Increasing geopolitical connect: between the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific in both the geo-economic and security dimensions is on the rise and the change in regional nomenclature from Asia-Pacific to Indo Pacific is a better representative of the same.

• Geo-economic opportunities: eastward shift of the world’s economic “center of gravity” towards the Asian continent and thus the Indo-Pacific is regarded as a singular and integrated geopolitical construct.

• Growing Eminence of India: Even though the “Indo” in “Indo-Pacific” represents the Indian Ocean and not India, the global community expects India to play a major role in terms of ensuring a maritime environment that is conducive for economic growth and development.

• Politico-military aggressiveness of China: In the backdrop of China’s string of pearls theory Indo-Pacific presented an opportunity to capitalise on China’s key strategic vulnerability, viz., its energy lifelines transiting the Indian Ocean and to showcase Indian Navy’s capability to moderate China’s behaviour,
thereby dissuading its future aggressiveness.

Future Relevance of Indo-Pacific strategy

• The relevance of the ‘Indo-Pacific’ concept will be enhanced in the future due to the strengthening linkages between the IOR and the WP.
• Furthermore, the growing trade and people-to-people connectivity between the IOR and WP countries may bring economic prosperity in the IOR region, and slowly reduce inequalities in terms of economic and human development indices.
• China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and India’s Act East policy may also contribute to economic integration of the IOR and the WP.
• Further it will also help in evolving balance of power in Asia, and to address the fault-lines therein, with the overarching aim of preserving regional and global stability.
• India and other partners need to demonstrate their ability to enforce UNCLOS otherwise there will be little incentive for rule breakers, like China, to adhere to the norms or respect freedom of navigation.

Concept of Indo-Pacific from different perspectives

• For USA, it highlights inadequacy of the “Asia-Pacific” term (which means ‘the Asian littoral of the Pacific Ocean) to meet its geopolitical and foreign
policy objectives of maintaining its sphere of influence in face of the Chinese challenge. Secondly it aims to incorporate India into the regionwide security architecture by making it a “net security provider”.

• For India it means an extended eastern maritime neighbourhood in tandem with Act East Policy and Indian Navy’s new maritime security strategy to the
entire western and south-western Pacific Ocean.

• China on its part has not expressed any resentment and may use it to increase its own influence in Indian Ocean especially through BRI.

• For Japan it means an enhanced maritime security role in the area in cooperation with India to reduce its seaborne energy and food imports
across the IOR

• For Indonesia: Possessing substantial potential to become a major maritime power, Indonesia is also likely to be a key player in the process of melting
the IOR-WP divide, and thereby reinforcing the ‘Indo-Pacific’ construct as it has coasts facing both the oceans.